Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team-mates met United States president Donald Trump at the White House to commemorate the club’s MLS Cup triumph.
Inter Miami won the championship game of Major League Soccer, the nation’s top-flight division, for the first time in December.
The club, co-owned by former England captain David Beckham, received an invitation to visit the White House before their MLS match against DC United in Washington on Saturday.
Messi and his teammates stood on stage as Trump addressed the media, celebrating their achievement after providing an update on the ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Trump said: “My son [Barron] said, ‘Dad, do you know who’s going to be there today?’ I said, ‘no, I’ve got a lot of things going on’.
“He said, ‘Messi!’ He’s a big fan of yours. He thinks you’re a great person, and I think you got to meet a little while ago.”
Argentina icon Messi, 38, committed to Miami in October with a new deal through 2028.
The former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain forward became the first player in MLS history to win the Most Valuable Player award in back-to-back seasons.
Addressing Messi, Trump added: “Leo claimed the 47th trophy of his incredible career – the most of all time.
“You could have gone anywhere in the world, any team in the world, and you chose Miami. I just want to thank you for bringing us all on this ride.”
Trump added, “I shouldn’t say this because I’m old, but I watched Pelé play. I don’t know, you may be better than Pele. Pele was pretty good.”
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